MICHAELA LUŽICOVÁ – APRIL 21, 2016

Emmaus Rotary Club members heard from Michaela Lužicová at our April 21 meeting.  Michaela - or Miŝka (“Meesh-kah”) to her friends – is a Rotary Youth Exchange Student sponsored by the Allentown-West Rotary Club. She is attending Parkland High School where has made the Honor Roll in every term so far.  She has also participated on the Cross Country and Lacrosse teams.

Miŝka is from Šaľa, Slovakia, a small town of about 25,000 people located 40 miles east of the capital city of Bratislava.  She has one younger brother.  Prior to coming to the U.S., Miŝka attended the Spanish Bilingual Grammar School which is located about an hour’s train ride from her home.  She also traveled to Spain in 2014 to study the Spanish language.

Miŝka shared a great deal of information about her homeland including:

·         Slovakia gained independence on January 1, 1993

·         Slovakia is located in the geographical center of Europe

·         Slovaks eat five meals a day; the largest is lunch which is preceded and followed by a snack

·         Several well known NHL players are from Slovakia including Marián Hossa, Marián Gáborík and Zdeno Chára.

·         Slovakia has the highest number of chateaus and castles per capita of any country in Europe

·         Slovakia has varied natural landscapes, numerous caves, nine national parks, natural mineral water springs and amazing skiing in the High Tatras Mountains.

Becoming an exchange student is something Miŝka has planned for herself since middle school.  She views her participation in the Rotary Youth Exchange program as a tremendous opportunity to meet new people, explore new cultures and learn about the world outside Slovakia.  Miŝka is considering a career in business or economics and mentioned the University of Pennsylvania as a possible location for her future studies.